Illuminated product display fixture for edge lighting displayed articles

ABSTRACT

An illuminated product display fixture is provided having a plurality of upright, preformed, removable and interchangeable modules of translucent, synthetic resin material each presenting upright rows of article receiving pockets with combination light source and reflector means being strategically located behind the modules in disposition to effect edge lighting of products displayed in respective pockets. The back walls of the pockets are preferably covered with rearwardly facing reflector material to prevent passage of light therethrough and to augment diffusion of light rays from the source thereof so that customer observable hot spots are awarded. The modules are molded of a configuration such that the top walls of each pocket are of greater area than the bottom wall of the pocket there next above whereby the largest part of the light directed onto the article in each pocket is received from the translucent top wall thereabove for the most pleasing lighting effect without harsh glare.

United States Patent [19] Jonathan et a1.

[ June 28, 1974 ILLUMINATED PRODUCT DISPLAY FIXTURE FOR EDGE LIGHTINGDISPLAYED ARTICLES Inventors: Isaac Jonathan, Kansas City; John W.Madden, Overland Park, both of Kans.

Hallmark Cards, Incorporated, Kansas City, Mo.

Filed: May 17, 1973 Appl. No.: 361,142

Assignee:

US. Cl. 240/2 AD, 40/ 124, 240/4, 240/6, 312/128 Int. Cl. F2lv 33/00Field of Search 240/2 AD, 2 R, 4, 6; 40/124, 124.2; 312/117, 126, 128

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/1930 Griffith 240/2 AD 4/1932Burkhart 240/6 2/1950 Anders 240/2 AD 4/1959 Fitzgerald 240/2 AD PrimaryExaminer-Richard L. Moses Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Schmidt, Johnson,Hovey & Williams [5 7] ABSTRACT An illuminated product display fixtureis provided having a plurality of upright, preformed, removable andinterchangeable modules of translucent, synthetic resin material eachpresenting upright rows of article receiving pockets with combinationlight source and reflector means being strategically located behind themodules in disposition to effect edge lighting of products displayed inrespective pockets. The back walls of the pockets are preferably coveredwith rearwardly facing reflector material to prevent passage of lighttherethrough and to augment diffusion of light rays from the sourcethereof so that customer observable hot spots are awarded. The modulesare molded of a configuration such that the top walls of each pocket areof greater area than the bottom wall of the pocket there next abovewhereby the largest part of the light directed onto the article in eachpocket is received from the translucent top wall thereabove for the mostpleasing lighting effect without harsh glare.

19 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures ILLUMINATED PRODUCT'DISPLAY FIXTURE FOREDGE LIGHTING DISPLAYED ARTICLES This invention relates to anilluminated product dis play fixture for retail outlets which isespecially useful for displaying items such as greeting cards, partygoods and other flat materials which are usually stacked for customerselection and successive removal, but which is also uniquely usable fordisplaying three-dimensional artistic products and decorativeaccessories which benefit from indirect illumination thereon forcustomer appeal. More particularly, the invention is concerned with adisplay fixture which is adapted to evenly illuminate the articles to bedisplayed by indirect edge lighting while providing means for moreeffectively displaying a large variety and selection of articles forcustomer selection.

Exemplary greeting card display fixtures of the prior art conventionallyhave employed a plurality of horizontal, vertically spaced andrearwardly staggered panels for the reception of the articles to bedisplayed. Upstanding glass keepers at the forward edge of eachhorizontal stretch were normally utilized to give a series of elongatedcompartments of rectangular cross section which extended substantiallythe entire width of the display rack. An overhead lighting fixture wasusually disposed above the rack to directly illuminate the articlesdisplayed therebelow.

These display racks of the prior art were deficient in several importantrespects. Specifically, because of their fixed construction andunchangeable dimensions, it was very difficult to display odd-shapedgreeting cards, various sized cards, or other merchandise. For example,it is common in the greeting card industry to feature seasonal cards ofvarying shapes, such as eggshaped cards at Easter time. As can beappreciated, with the normal display fixtures, it is very difficult toposition such cards for effective retail merchandising because theyoftentimes become tipped or otherwise distorted in the rack, therebyreducing the effectiveness of the promotion. A related problem hasoccurred when it is attempted to display various gift items inconjunction with the greeting cards. These impulse items as they areknown in the trade are desirably dis-.

played alongside the greeting cards to enhance their salability.However, because of their differing shapes and dimensions, it hasheretofore been impossible to effectively display them in the same rackof fixture with the greeting cards.

Another serious drawback of the constructions of the prior art involvethe illumination system normally utilized. Direct overhead lighting hasconventionally been provided by means of either incandescent orfluorescent lighting sources positioned above the rack. Such a directlighting system normally produces a harsh, upspecific lighting effect onthe cards below. This is to be contrasted with soft or glow lightingwhich serves to enhance the beauty of the articles displayed. The lattermore desirable effect has been impossible to achieve with theconstructions of the prior art, thus limiting their utility. This is tobe contrasted with the more desirable illumination of the type referredto herein as edge lighting, which pertains to soft, indirect lightingfrom the sides of the articles. As can be appreciated, edge lighting hasbeen impossible to achieve with the construction of the prior art, andtherefore the utility thereof is limited.

Hence, there is a need in the art for an illuminated product displayfixture which can'be modified at will to change the promotional formatthereof and is capable of individually edge lighting displayed articlesin a soft, unobtrusive manner.

SUMMARY Accordingly, it has been found that such a display fixture canbe provided which is relatively inexpensive to produce and serves toindividually edge illuminate greeting cards or other items displayedtherein.

The fixture comprises receptacle means such as an integralmulti-pocketed synthetic resin module having the pockets thereofextending inwardly from its forward edge and defined by integral side,top and bottom walls. The top wall of eachof the pockets is translucent,while the generally planar back walls thereof are rendered opaque.

In preferred embodiments, an upright supporting structure carriesremovably nestable modules of the type described in a rearwardly tiltedarticle displaying disposition, and each of the modules is provided witha series of vertically aligned, transversely extending rows ofrearwardly tilted pockets. The supporting structure also carries anillumination system for the modules, which includes a light sourcepositioned in a spaced relationship behind the modules which is capableof evenly illuminating the latter. In this connection, it is especiallypreferred to employ vertically spaced, elongated fluorescent lightingsources in order to illuminate the forwardly positioned adjacent,side-by-side modules which substantially span the lateral width of thesupporting frame.

A reflector is also secured within the supporting structure behind thelight source to enhance the illuminating power of the latter. Inpreferred forms, the reflector is composed of a continuous sheet ofbendable sheet metal, with the reflective surface thereof being coatedwith white paint.

In order to produce the desirable edge lighting effects, the reflectorand light sources are configured and positioned relative to theforwardly spaced article receiving modules in order to cooperativelydirect a substantial part of the light emanating from the sourcesthrough the translucent top walls of the respective pockets. In thismanner, soft, indirect light passes through the translucent top walls ofthe pockets to edge illuminate the articles positioned therein.

To further enhance this result, the inwardly extending top and bottomwalls of each of the pockets are an- I through the translucent topwalls.

simultaneously adhesively securing the strip in covering relationshipthereto. Such a strip is effective not only to increase the amount oflight ultimately directed through the translucent top walls of thepocket but also to block passage of light through the forward peripheraledges of the module joining transversely adjacent pockets.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illuminated product displayfixture in accordance with the present invention, showing a plurality oftranslucent, synthetic resin article receiving modules ready for thereception of articles to be displayed;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of the display fixtureof FIG. 1, with one module thereof being removed and the adjacent modulepartially cut away to more clearly illustrate the support structuretherefor;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, side view in vertical section taken along sightline 3--3 of FIG. 2;

,FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a module depicted in FIG. 1, shown withcontinuous strips of reflectorized synthetic resin material in coveringdisposition to the transverse rows of article receiving pockets;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the lower modulemounted within the fixture as shown in FIG. 3, with aportion of thecontinuous reflectorized strip being broken away;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along I sight line 66 ofFIG. 5, showing the continuous reflectorized strip in coveringdisposition to the back walls of the adjacent pockets and the lateralspaces therebetween;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along sight line 77 of FIG. 2, showing the use of a planar wall providing an informationalindicia panel within the module.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along sight line 8 8 ofFIG. 2, showing the rearwardly extending lip of a pair of adjacentmodules cooperatively nested within complementary holding structure onthe midpost of the frame;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along sight line 9 9 ofFIG. 2, showing the rearwardly extending lip of a module removablynested within complementary flange structure provided in the side wallof the frame; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side view in vertical section showing amodified display fixture with an upper pair of modules having twotransversely extending rows of article receiving pockets therein, inconjunction with an illumination system therefor comprising a singleelongated fluorescent lighting element and reflector housingtherebehind.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION An illuminated product display fixture forindividually edge lighting articles positioned therein is shownperspectively in FIG. 1 and is generally referred to by numeral 10. Itcomprises an upstanding frame and panel assembly 12 having a verticalback wall 14 with a pair of forwardly extending, tapered, laterallyspaced side walls 16 securely attached thereto. A pair of for-' wardlyopening drawers 18 are shown at the bottom of the assembly 12 which, inthe conventional manner, are adapted to hold additional articles to bedisplayed in the fixture above.

Two vertically aligned pairs of translucent, removably nestable,preferably synthetic resin tray-like vacuum formed product displaymodules designated by the numeral 20 are shown as being positionedwithin the frame between the respective side walls 16. Each module 20 isin side by side abutting relationship to another module to span thedistance between the respective side walls 16. These modules 20 aregenerally rectangular in shape and are provided with a plurality ofintegral, inwardly extending pockets 22, each of the latter having anintegral top wall 24, bottom wall 26, side walls 28 and a generallyplanar back wall 30 (see FIG.

4). The pockets 22 are arranged in symetrical transverse rows and eachis circumscribed by a forward peripheral edge 32.

The generally planar back walls 30 of the respective pockets are alsopreferably provided with a transverse, forwardly extending ledge 34 tofacilitate removal of the greeting card or other merchandise from thepocket structure. In order to emphasize the manufacturers trade name orother promotional information, generally planar illumination panels 36are desirably provided in the upper modules of the rack in an eye-levelposition, normally occupied by a pair of adjacent pockets 22. In theembodiment shown, the panels 36 are simply translucent, integralsegments positioned over a portion of the module structure and forming aforward face thereof.

In order to further enhance the usefulness of the fixture, a transverse,compartmentalized envelope rack 38 can advantageously be positionedalong the lower edge of the rack below the lowermost pair of modules.This allows envelopes associated with the greeting cards displayed aboveto be proximal thereto but without detracting from the displaycharacteristics of the fixture 10. In the constructions of the priorart, envelopes have conventionally been placed behind the cardsdisplayed. This inevitably lessens the effects of the display' becausethe envelopes often became disarranged or placed in front of the cardsthemselves, thus requiring frequent reorganization by the retailmerchant.

Turning now to FIG. 3, it can be seen that a series of horizontallyextending, vertically spaced, laterally coextensive tiers 40 areprovided which project forwardly from back wall 14 and are fixedlyconnected side walls 16 by conventional means such as welding or bolts.The three tiers 40a, 406, and 40c are progressively shorter in lengthfrom the lowermost tier to the highest. In this manner, the modules 20are retained in a rearwardly tilted upright disposition between tiers inorder to facilitate the display and removal of greeting cards or otherarticles.

A generally vertical reflector housing 42 is secured between theuppermost tier 40a and the middle tier 40b of the fixture 10. An upperledge portion 44 forming a part of reflector housing 42 is affixed tothe interior face of tier 40a, while the lower angularly dependingconnection portion 46 of the housing is welded to an integral,upstanding, transversely extending flange 48 provided for this purpose.The reflecting surface 50 of the housing 42 is preferably coated withwhite paint or the like in order to more effectively reflect lightimpinging thereon through the forwardly positioned modules.

The lower portion of the fixture 10 between the tiers 40b and 400contains an upright, generally vertical, transversely extending bracewall 52 which is joined to each of the aforementioned tiers to provideincreased structural strength for the overall unit. Additionally, aninclined reflector housing 54 is operatively connected within thehousing forwardly of the brace wall 52. The housing 54 which is joinedto the middle tier 40b as at 56 and extends rearwardly therefrom, has apair of inte gral, inclined, transversely extending stretches 58 and 60that serve as a support for a generally planar, inclined reflector wallangularly depending from the lowermost edge of stretch 60. Housing 54 issecured to the lowermost tier 400 by connection of knee portion 62thereof to complementary upstanding, channel-like connector structure 64provided for this purpose.

In preferred embodiments, each of the respective housings 42 and 54 arefabricated from elongated, integral sections of bendable sheet metal.The forward fac ing surfaces of these metal sections are coated withwhite gloss paint as by spraying either before or after mounting thereofin position.

A pair of fluorescent lighting elements 68 are positioned within eachenclosed area defined by the respective housings 42 and 54 and theforwardly spaced modules 20 associated therewith. In preferred forms,the respective lighting source 68 are elongated, fluorescent tubes whichextend substantially the entire width of display rack to thussimultaneously illuminate both of the abutting, side-by-side modulespositioned forwardly therefrom. In this connection, it should be notedthat space 70 between the vertical brace wall 52 and the inclinedportion of lower reflective housing 54 serve as a convenient area forthe placing of the requisite electrical ballast and starter structurefor the fluorescent lighting elements.

Again referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the vertically slignedpockets are constructed so that they tilt downwardly with respect withthe vertical in order to assure retention of articles in the pockets andto facilitate loading and unloading thereof with merchanidse for sale.In this regard, each of the respective top walls 24 and bottom walls 26are downwardly inclined with respect to the vertical, with the bottomwalls being of greater relative acute angularity. Additionally, the topwall 24 of each pocket is of greater inwardly extending length than theassociated bottom wall. Thus, when the transverse rows of pockets are inclosely spaced vertical alignment as shown in FIG. 3, a portion of thetop wall of each of the pockets extend inwardly into fixture 10 agreater distance than the bottom wall directly above in order to exposea portion of the translucent top wall to the light emanating fromfluorescent sources 68. A similar result is obtained with the lowermostpair of transverse pocket rows in the lower modules by provision offorwardly extending stretches 72 forming the lowermost segment of theback walls of the pockets.

In order to produce the desired edge illumination effect outlined above,it is desirable to position the light sources 68 and the adjacentreflective housing 42 or 54 in disposition to direct a substantialportion of the light emanating from the sources through the translucenttop walls of the pockets. As shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable to placethe elongated horizontal elements 68 in vertically spaced relationshipadjacent the acute angular space between adjacent vertically alignedrows of pockets. The desirable illumination effect produced in thisfashion is enhanced by rendering the back walls 30 of the respectivepockets opaque; in this manner, no

light is directed through the back walls and thus light can only passthrough the translucent top side and bottom walls of the pockets toeffect illumination of merchandise displayed therein.

In one particularly preferred embodiment, an elongated, continuous strip74 of synthetic resin material coated with aluminum particles isadhesively secured to all of the back walls of each row of pockets. Asbest shown in FIG. 6, the use of such a strip 74 not only renders theback walls 30 of the pockets opaque, but also reflectorizes therearwardly facing surfaces of the latter in order to increase the amountof light ultimately directed through the translucent portions of thepockets. Moreover, use of the continuous strip serves to effectivelyblock passage of light through the side walls 28 of the pocket bycovering the space 76 between transversely adjacent pockets 22. Thus,only the top and bottom walls 24 and 26 of the pockets are capable oftransmitting light therethrough, and by virtue of the disposition of thefluorescent lighting elements 68 and associated reflector housings, onlya minor amount of light passes through the bottom walls of the pockets.The latter effect is even more pronounced because the respectivetransverse rows of pockets are in closely spaced vertical alignment,thereby further reducing the amount of light passing through the bottomwalls of the pockets.

As outlined above, each of the modules 20 is removably nested within theframe structure 12, in order to allow flexibility in the overall designand use of the fixture 10. For this purpose each module is provided withan integral, rearwardly extending circumscribing lip 78 which is adaptedto complementally interfit with mating connection structure within theframe assembly 12. As depicted in FIG. 8, the metallic middle post orbrace 80 attached to the frame includes a generally Y-shaped bracket 81on the forward edge thereof adapted to receive a pair of lips 78 fromthe abutting, side by side modules 20. Additionally, the remainingforward edges of the frame structure is provided with welded flangestructure 82 which is likewise adapted to receive the rearwardlyextending lip 78 of the modules 20. In this manner, the separate modules20 are removably nested Within the frame structure 12, and can bechanged at will, either indivudually or in their entirety.

During use of article receiving modules 20 it is sometimes desirable tohave pockets 22 of varying depths and dimensions in order to increasethe flexibility of the fixture 10. As shown in FIG. 4, this can be donewithin a single module to allow the reception of greeting cards or otherarticles of differing dimension therewithin. Such modifications can mosteasily be accomplished by integrally molding the modules in a vacuumforming operation, and therefore this procedure for fabricating themodules 20 is preferred. Further, it may also be advantageous to providea planar portion 36 therein (see FIG. 7) for trade name advertising orother promotional information. This can be accomplished by providing aflat segment of the synthetic resin material across the face of an anarea of the module normally occupied by a number of pockets. In mostsituations it has been found desirable to allow such areas to remaintranslucent so that light from the fluorescent sources 68 can bedirected therethrough. This yields the desirable illuminated emphasisupon the manufacturers trade name or the like.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the standard fixture 10 is preferably of a heightcausing the upper portion thereof to be at normal eye level, as isconventional in a display unit of this type. However, where space is ata premium or when used for island display purposes, it is possible toemploy a so-called low density fixture which has a pair of abuttingupper modules of reduced vertical dimensions. This particular embodimentis shown in FIG. 10 and includes a pair of modules 120 in spanningrelationship to the upper section of the fixture 110. The modules 120are provided with two transversely extending rows of pockets in contrastto the use of four such rows in display fixture 10 of FIG. 1. Moreover,a single fluorescent lighting element 168 is utilized, in conjunctionwith a reflector housing 142 of reduced dimensions. In all otherrespects, this embodiment is identical to that described in FIG. 1.However, the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 does illustrate the flexibilityinherent in the design of the present invention, and its usefulness inwidely varying situations.

This desirable flexibility is further enhanced by virture of the ease inwhich modules having varying pocket shapes can be substituted for thoseshown in the drawings. Thus, by virtue of the fact that each of theinwardly extending pockets 22 can have varying sizes, shapes and depths,different articles or cards can be displayed simultaneously within thesame module or rack. For example, the egg-shaped cards discussedpreviously can be displayed by providing modules with correspondingoval-shaped pockets. In this way, oddshaped cards can be attractivelydisplayed without any of the problems associated with the fixtures ofthe prior art.

It is also possible to display so-called impulse itmes in conjunctionwith greeting cards. This can be accomplished merely by providingmodules with appropriate pockets or niches for the reception of sucharticles. Further, the only requirement for changing the articles withinthe display is to employ different modules with appropriate pocketconfigurations. Thus, while the peripheral dimensions of the modules areconstant in order to interfit within the frame structure 12, an almostlimitless number of pocket dimensions and shapes are possible. Thischaracteristic is especially valuable for display of seasonal promotionsin the greeting card industry, where it is sometimes desirable toreplace only a portion of the cards in the overall rack. By use of thefixtures disclosed herein, a number of cards can be kept on a more orless permanent basis for general occasions such as birthdays oranniversaries, while another portion of the rack can be utilized for thechanging needs of seasonal merchandising. Moreover, this can beaccomplished without losing any of the artistic merits of the displayand with little cost to the retail merchant, since there is no need forcompletely changing the array of cards. The only costs are thoseinvolved in providing a new module, which can be produced and sold orfurnished at relatively little additional expense.

More importantly, the present invention overcomes the problemsencountered in the use of harsh, direct lighting found in conventionaldisplay fixtures, and is moreover capable of precisely edge illuminatingthe displayed articles without an overpowering peripheral glow lightingeffect. In this connection it should be noted that in order to avoidareas of differential illumination along the forward faces of modules20, it is de- 5 junction with the white painted reflector housings 42and 54. However, it may be possible in certain instances to utilize aplurality of incandescent bulbs behind the modules, especially if theyare properly covered by reflective material over the outermost part oftheir surface.

In the use of the present invention, the display rack is assembled byattaching the back wall 14, side walls 16 and forwardly extending tierstogether to form the overall supporting frame structure 12. Thereflector housings 42 and 54 are subsequently secured in place betweenthe respective tiers, and the elongated fluorescent lighting elements 68are thereafter positioned in a spaced relationship therefrom. Finally,the modules 20 are nested within the structure by inserting thecircumscribing lips 78 thereof into the complementary flange structureprovided on the forward edges of the frame structure 12. Thereafter, asthe need arises, the modules 20 can be changed at will to yieldexcellent flexibility in themerchandising of greeting cards and relatedarticles.

We claim:

1. An illuminated product display fixture for displaying articlescomprising:

receptacle means having walls presenting at least one inwardly extendingpocket for the reception of articles to be displayed, the top wall ofthe pocket being translucent with the back wall thereof being opaque;

a light source positioned in spaced relationship behind said receptaclemeans;

a reflector positioned in spaced relationship behind said light source,the reflector and light source being configured and positioned relativeto said receptacle means to cooperatively direct light emanating fromsaid source through said translucent top wall to thereby edge illuminatethe article disposed within said pockets; and

structure for supporting said reflector, light source and receptaclemeans in article displaying and illuminating disposition.

2. The display fixture of claim 1, wherein said receptacle means isprovided with a plurality of vertically aligned, transversely extendingrows of inwardly extending article receiving pockets having integral,inwardly extending top, bottom and side walls and generally planar backwalls, the latter presenting opaque, rearwardly facing light reflectivesurfaces.

3. The illuminated display fixture of claim 2, wherein said pockets areof varying depths.

4. The illuminated display fixture of claim 2, wherein said respectivetransverse rows of pockets are in closely spaced vertical alignment inorder to preclude significant passage of light through the forwardmostperipheral edges of the receptacle means joining said pockets.

5. The illuminated display fixture of claim 4, wherein the top walls ofeach of said pockets in the respective rows are downwardly inclinedrelative to the vertical to expose a significant portion thereof to thelight emanating from said light source.

6. The illuminated product display fixture of claim 5 wherein said topand bottom walls are angularly disposed downwardly with respect to theforward edge of said receptacle means, the top wall of each of saidpockets being of greater length than the respective bottom wall thereof.

7. The display fixture of claim 6 wherein the back wall of each of saidpockets is provided with a forwardly extending, transverse ledge tofacilitate removal of the articles contained therein.

8. The display fixture of claim 4 wherein each of the back walls of saidreceptacles are provided with reflectorized material thereoverpresenting said reflective surfaces.

9. The display fixture of claim 8, wherein the rearwardly facingsurfaces of the back walls of at least certain of said pockets in eachof said respective rows are covered by an adhesively secured, continuousstrip of outwardly facing reflectorized material.

10. The display fixture of claim 1, wherein said receptacle means iscomposed of translucent, synthetic resin material.

11. The illuminated display fixture of claim 1, wherein said receptaclemeans is constructed to be removably nested within said structure.

12. The display fixture of claim 1 wherein vertically aligned pairs ofreceptacle means are positioned within said structure in spanningrelationship thereto in an abutting side-by-side manner.

13. The display fixture of claim 12 wherein each of said receptaclemeans is removably nested within said structure.

14. The illuminated display fixture of claim 13, wherein the lightsource for each of said pairs of receptacle means includes a pair ofhorizontal vertically spaced fluorescent lighting elements extendingsubstantially the entire width of said fixture.

15. The display fixture of claim 1 wherein said reflector is composed ofa continuous, bendable sheet metal, the reflective surface thereof beingcoated with a light reflective composition.

16. The display fixture of claim 2 wherein said reflector is configuredand positioned to present an inclined reflective surface with respect tothe back walls of said pockets.

17. The illuminated display fixture of claim 1, including a transverselyextending envelope rack having a plurality of rearwardly extendingenvelope receiving pockets provided therein.

18. An illuminated product display fixture for displaying articles,comprising:

an upstanding frame having a vertical back wall and a pair of laterallyspaced, forwardly extending side walls;

a plurality of vertically spaced, forwardly extending horizontal tierspositioned within said frame. the horizontal lengths of said tiersdecreasing from the lowermost tier to the uppermost tier;

a pair of adjacent, side-by-side removable modules positioned incovering relationship to each of the spaces defined by a pair of saidtiers, each of said modules having walls presenting a plurality ofinwardly extending article receiving pockets, the top walls thereofbeing translucent with the back walls thereof being covered withreflective material;

a pair of horizontal, vertically spaced, elongated, fluorescent lightingelements positioned behind each of said pairs of modules and extendingsubstantially the entire width of the frame; and

a reflector housing carried between each of said tiers and positionedbehind said fluorescent lighting element, the reflective surface of thehousing being coated with a light reflective composition said reflectorhousing and fluorescent lighting elements being configured andpositioned relative to the respective modules to cooperatively direct asubstantial part of the light emanating from said lighting elementsthrough the translucent top walls of said article receiving pockets tothereby edge illuminate the articles disposed therein.

19. An illuminated product display fixture for displaying articles,comprising:

receptacle means having walls presenting at least one inwardly extendingpocket for the reception of articles to be displayed, the back wall ofsaid pocket being opaque, with at least one of the remaining walls ofsaid pocket being translucent;

a light source positioned in spaced relationship behind said receptaclemeans;

a reflector positioned in spaced relationship behind said light source,the reflector and light source being positioned relative to saidreceptacle means to cooperatively direct light emanating from saidsource through the translucent wall of said pocket; and

structure for supporting said reflector, light source and receptaclemeans in article displaying and illuminating disposition.

1. An illuminated product display fixture for displaying articlescomprising: receptacle means having walls presenting at least oneinwardly extending pocket for the reception of articles to be displayed,the top wall of the pocket being translucent with the back wall thereofbeing opaque; a light source positioned in spaced relationship behindsaid receptacle means; a reflector positioned in spaced relationshipbehind said light source, the reflector and light source beingconfigured and positioned relative to said receptacle means tocooperatively direct light emanating from said source through saidtranslucent top wall to thereby edge illuminate the article disposedwithin said pockets; and structure for supporting said reflector, lightsource and receptacle means in article displaying and illuminatingdisposition.
 2. The display fixture of claim 1, wherein said receptaclemeans is provided with a plurality of vertically aligned, transverselyextending rows of inwardly extending article receiving pockets havingintegral, inwardly extending top, bottom and side walls and generallyplanar back walls, the latter presenting opaque, rearwardly facing lightreflective surfaces.
 3. The illuminated display fixture of claim 2,wherein said pockets are of varying depths.
 4. The illuminated displayfixture of claim 2, wherein said respective transverse rows of pocketsare in closely spaced vertical alignment in order to precludesignificant passage of light through the forwardmost peripheral edges ofthe receptacle means joining said pockets.
 5. The illuminated displayfixture of claim 4, wherein the top walls of each of said pockets in therespective rows are downwardly inclined relative to the vertical toexpose a significant portion thereof to the light emanating from saidlight source.
 6. The illuminated product display fixture of claim 5wherein said top and bottom walls are angularly disposed downwardly withrespect to the forward edge of said receptacle means, the top wall ofeach of said pockets being of greater length than the respective bottomwall thereof.
 7. The display fixture of claim 6 wherein the back wall ofeach of said pockets is provided with a forwardly extending, transverseledge to facilitate removal of the articles contained therein.
 8. Thedisplay fixture of claim 4 wherein each of the back walls of saidreceptacles are provided with reflectorized material thereoverpresenting said reflective surfaces.
 9. The display fixture of claim 8,wherein the rearwardly facing surfaces of the back walls of at leastcertain of said pockets in each of said respective rows are covered byan adhesively secured, continuous strip of outwardly facingreflectorized material.
 10. The display fixture of claim 1, wherein saidreceptacle means is composed of translucent, synthetic resin material.11. The illuminated display fixture of claim 1, wherein said receptaclemeans is constructed to be removably nested within said structure. 12.The display fixture of claim 1 wherein vertically aligned pairs ofreceptacle means are positioned within said structure in spanningrelationship thereto in an abutting side-by-side manner.
 13. The displayfixture of claim 12 wherein each of said receptacle means is removablynested within said structure.
 14. The illuminated display fixture ofclaim 13, wherein the light source for each of said pairs of receptaclemeans includes a pair of horizontal vertically spaced fluorescentlighting elements extending substantially the entire width of saidfixture.
 15. The display fixture of claim 1 wherein said reflector iscomposed of a continuous, bendable sheet metal, the reflective surfacethereof being coated with a light reflective composition.
 16. Thedisplay fixture of claim 2 wherein said reflector is configured andpositioned to present an inclined reflective surface with respect to theback walls of said pockets.
 17. The illuminated display fixture of claim1, including a transversely extending envelope rack having a pluralityof rearwardly extending envelope receiving pockets provided therein. 18.An illuminated product display fixture for displaying articles,comprising: an upstanding frame having a vertical back wall and a pairof laterally spaced, forwardly extending side walls; a plurality ofvertically spaced, forwardly extending horizontal tiers positionedwithin said frame, the horizontal lengths of said tiers decreasing fromthe lowermost tier to the uppermost tier; a pair of adjacent,side-by-side removable modules positioned in covering relationship toeach of the spaces defined by a pair of said tiers, each of said moduleshaving walls presenting a plurality of inwardly extending articlereceiving pockets, the top walls thereof being translucent with the backwalls thereof being covered with reflective material; a pair ofhorizontal, vertically spaced, elongated, fluorescent lighting elemenTspositioned behind each of said pairs of modules and extendingsubstantially the entire width of the frame; and a reflector housingcarried between each of said tiers and positioned behind saidfluorescent lighting element, the reflective surface of the housingbeing coated with a light reflective composition said reflector housingand fluorescent lighting elements being configured and positionedrelative to the respective modules to cooperatively direct a substantialpart of the light emanating from said lighting elements through thetranslucent top walls of said article receiving pockets to thereby edgeilluminate the articles disposed therein.
 19. An illuminated productdisplay fixture for displaying articles, comprising: receptacle meanshaving walls presenting at least one inwardly extending pocket for thereception of articles to be displayed, the back wall of said pocketbeing opaque, with at least one of the remaining walls of said pocketbeing translucent; a light source positioned in spaced relationshipbehind said receptacle means; a reflector positioned in spacedrelationship behind said light source, the reflector and light sourcebeing positioned relative to said receptacle means to cooperativelydirect light emanating from said source through the translucent wall ofsaid pocket; and structure for supporting said reflector, light sourceand receptacle means in article displaying and illuminating disposition.